Traverse



1950 H. c. HOWSAM 2,535,737

TRAVERSE Filed Jan. 17, 1946 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 TRAVERSE Hilyard C. Howsam, Chicago, 111;, assignor to HubbardSpooPGo Chicago, 111:, a corporation" of Illinois ApplicationJanuary 1'7, 1946,. Serial No. 641,782

LCI'aim. 1

The present invention relates to a reel constructionand'has to do with a" traverse and a method of making the same.

, In connection with themanufacture of reels or spools for' supporting wire, cable or other products to be wound forshipment'and use, the

traverse manufacturer makes the" traverses and ships themas sucli'tothe reel user who applies heads to the traversesto complete the reels.

It has happened, in the past, that when the traverses are being shipped, loaded in a car on theirflanged ends, that an abnormal shock may be imparted to the car, causingits load to shift and in such" shifting, some of: the traverses have been bent into other than cylindrical form, thus rendering them incapable'of use.

Experience. has demonstrated that when the traverses are made ofsingle thickness material, sometimesthe heads pull oiffrom the traverse fiangeaas the single'thicknessmetal about bolt holes in thefiangestears underundulysevere use or treatment.

Various and sundry means have heretofore been devised for overcoming these objections.

The present invention overcomes the objections existing at the present time and has for an important object the provision of a novel method of making a traverse.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a traverse having reinforced flanges integrally formed from the material of which the traverse is made.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a traverse having integral annular reinforcing means at its ends for preventing collapse during shipment.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide a traverse in which the reinforcing parts are formed integrally from the material of which the body or barrel. of the traverse is made.

Another and yet further object of the present invention is to provide a single thickness traverse having double thickness end flanges and other reinforcing means adjacent the flanges, all formed from single thickness stock.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment' of the present invention, andalso sug gests the method of manufacture, and theviews thereof are as follows? Figure l is an isometric view ofa traverse showing a head applied to one'end.

Figure 2 is an isometricview of the blank from which the traverse is made.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through atraverse after the ends of the-blank have been secured together in cylindrical form.

Figure f is a schematic view showing certain steps in the method of manufacture, and illustrating how the double thickness flanges and re-- inforcing means adjacent the flanges may be formed.

Figure 5 is a central sectional viewthrough a completed traverse.

Figure 6 is afragmentalsectional view through a traverse-showing one method of welding when thetraverse ismade of two pieces of materiall Figure? isanendview-of a traverse madefrom twosemi-cylindrical parts:

The drawing will now be explained.

Referring to Fig. 1, a one-piece traverse is designated as A, and an end structure B is shown as applied to one end of a traverse.

The traverse A is made from a piece 0 of metal blanked from suitable stock with its length substantially that of the circumference of the finished traverse. The longer margins are folded over as at I5 and I6, lengthwise of the body of the piece. The piece C is then formed into cylindrical shape and the unfolded ends are welded together making a seam ll.

Thereafter the folded portions [5 and I 6 are subjected to pressure action to flatten them against the body of the traverse, and also smooth out any wrinkles that may have been formed by the rounding of the piece into cylindrical form.

Referring to Fig. 4, schematic means are shown for flattening the folds l5 and I6.

Referring to Fig. 4, a pressure roller l8 suitably mounted and supported to be rotated by a stem [9 bears against the fold [5, the body of the transverse course being suitably backed,

whereupon the fold I5 is flattened against the body of the traverse. When the fold has been suitably flattened, other means, such for example as a roller 2!], is moved against the outer surface of the traverse, adjacent an end, to bend over the end, substantially at right angles to the axis of the traverse, to provide a flange 2|. The bend is made intermediate the marginal portions of the fold 15, that is to say somewhere within its height, so that the resulting structure provides a double thickness flange 21 and an annular ring 22 against the inner surface of the traverse body adjacent the flange 2|. The ring 22 reinforces the traverse against collapse when pressure is suddenly applied against its outer surface.

After the flange 2| has been made as described, the opposite end of the traverse body is subjected to the same action to produce a similar flange at the other end. After the flanges are formed, they are punched or otherwise processed to provide bolt holes 23. Fig. 1 and Fig. '7 show four bolt holes for a flange but it is to be understood that more or less may be used depending on conditions of use of a reel, its size, and the load it is intended to support.

It will thus be noted that I have provided a traverse, and also a method for making the same, whereby a reinforced traverse is made from a single piece of material, the material being processed to provide double thickness end flanges and double thickness annular supports of the traverse body adjacent the flanges.

A traverse constructed in accordance with the present invention is strong, rugged, will withstand heavy abuse, and is one in which the end structures B may be securely attached without fear of accidental looseness or loss.

It might be desirable, under certain circumstances, tomake the traverse of two pieces of material which can be done by making two halves or bodies, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and welding the half bodies together along circumferential seams 24.

It might be desirable to make the traverse of two semi-cylindrical parts, in which event the two parts D and E should be welded together as indicated in Fig. 7 by the seams 25 and 26.

The traverse of the present invention, as will be noted, possesses suflicient rigidity against body collapse due to forces imposed on the traverses while being shipped, and at the same time possesses suflicient strength in the end flanges to resist tearing out of the bolts, so that a reel made with such a traverse will be capable of standing heavy abuse as the reel with its load is moved about in service.

The method of the present invention has to do with ways and means for reinforcing a traverse to provide double thickness flanges and annular reinforcement adjacent the flanges, formed from the same materia} as the body of the traverse is formed, so that the resulting structure is strong, rigid and rugged.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A traverse for a reel comprising a cylindrical body portion of single thickness stock, radially inwardly directed double thickness annular end flanges formed integrally with and of the same stock as said body portion, and annular reinforcing rings extending about the inner periphery of said body portion at each extremity thereof, said rings being formed of the same stock as said flanges and said body portion to reinforce that body portion edge adjacent said flanges by cooperation with said body portion to present a double thickness terminal annular edge joining said flanges to said body.

HILYARD C. I-IOWSAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 383,507 Walsh May 29, 1888 1,673,040 Bureau June 12, 1928 1,923,267 Howsam Aug. 22, 1933 1,924,541 Clemmons Aug. 29, 1933 1,924,893 Wackman Aug. 29, 1933 1,951,151 Hopkins Mar. 13, 1934 

